Damn you Contractors, damn you all to hell!
 

We recently had some work done and the quality was horrible, to sum up a long story, it was an intentionally shitty rush job. The work will probaly need to be redone in less than 6 years it's so bad. Even one of the walls is crooked! Is there something I can do to rectify their behavior? Some sort of consumer protection agency or legal 'thing' that can be done? It's just now starting to settle in how bad their work is.

Speak with a lawyer.

Yeah, speak to a lawyer. The more time passes the weaker your case gets because they can argue warpage/etc. Hit these bastards with threats of suing, if they offer to redo it at a price tell them to fuck themselves and you'll see them in court.

Yea, what Seaver said. Whip out your contract (which I hope you signed one), pull out some key points about the quality of their work, go there in person, and lay it straight.

Agreed! I've heard that most of the time the contractors loose the court battle due to how bad the quality of their work is. Thus the contractors will normally want to resolve the situation outside of court. Plus, TAKE PICTURES! Take pictures of EVERY MINOR DETAIL of EVERY MINOR THING WRONG! If they don't believe you when you tell them how bad their job is, or if things actually do go to court, then you have solid proof. It's that type of proof that wins the court cases. Also write down every date and time, or the range of dates and times if it was a longer project, that you remember speaking with them or them working on your project. Then record the date, time, and person you speak with, what the conversation was about, and what they said their solution to your problem is every time you talk with the company. Evidence like that helps the court case as well, since they can't come back and say they never told you such and such about fixing the problem.

Hire a building inspector or another contractor to doccument the shittiness of the work. Then you have more than pictures, you have "expert opinion." Then, depending on the magnitude of the problem, either file a small claims action or hire an attorney.

My mom just recently went through a horrible ordeal because of contractors. She met this guy who said he did siding and window replacement for cheaper than the competition, and she took him up on the offer. He was to replace all the windows (16 I believe) and replace the old siding with vinyl siding. It was just him and a helper, so you figure it might take two months, at most. Oh no, not this guy! It took him seven, yes I said SEVEN, months to get the job done. Not only that, but he did a half assed job. Personally, I wanted to kick the guy's fucking teeth in. Hell, I could have done a better job in half the time, and I've never done it before. My mom is too kind, as was just happy that they were finally done to think about litigation. What a nightmare.

Learning experiences, all. :(

Thanks for the advice, somethings gotta get done. These contractors have been at it for 15+ years and they leave big gaps between the wall and doorframe big enough to dump pens in the wall!?

edit: Man this has got me cranky...

Have you talked to the contractor yet to express your displeasure (Calmly, not yelling or screaming, saying that the work did not meet your expectations.)

Yeup, he got real defensive real quick, I dind't even get to finish the question. It was about whether or not there was an increased risk of floor damage from a long thin gap between the tiling and one of the fixtures that went clear on down to wood. I wasn't rude or hostile, this was right after teh job was finished and I was still in high spirits about being able to clean myself without the aid of a the kitchen sink and a washcloth. I'm geussing this guy knows he did a bad job.

Was this contractor licensed, insured and bonded? If he was then first, try to get him to fix his mistakes (which it sounds like you have done). If he wasn't, contact a lawyer. If he refuses to correct the problem, then contact a lawyer. Your home is the largest investment you are likely to ever make. Treat it as such. If his work is truly shoddy, you deserve to be awarded damages. Contractors are professionals, and do have certain responsibilities to their customers, providing quality workmanship is one of those responsibilities. Had you wanted it to look like the 14 y.o. down the street had done the work, then that's who you would have had do the job.

If he got defensive it's because he KNOWS they did a shitty job, and I'd bet money this isnt the first crappy job they've done.

Good suggestion. Get an inspector that you can find recommended by someone else or from out of town. Just in case the inspector who did this job was a "friend" of the contractor. I seems fishy to me that a wall is crooked and still met with code. I almost doubt if the work was actually inspected. If you find out it wasn't inspected or doesn't meet code then you have all you need. Just make sure you're there with the inspector and if he doesn't seem to care - get another inspector and another contractor to check it all out. Sorry to hear that you've run into one of the bad eggs out there.

File a report with your local "Better Business Bureau". I always check with them before I hire someone. If they are on the bad list, I don't hire em.

Oh, and check with them before you hire anyone else. Could save you a lot of problems. :thumbsup:

Good advice. I know that in California, independent contractors must be licensed with the state. The only exception is if the person doing the work is an employee of yours.